Upload
mileyko
View
227
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
1/20
RaRc a macqaR nvRy ssue 2, 2011
Let there be light
Brethig life ito
edil reserh
For the loe of oil
Deth of Os:
s the world sfer?
Egypts cyber revolution
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
2/20
a ky Lmn of Macquaries strategy for the future isto strengthen the global engagement of the University,
both in research and teaching.
The world of universities is becoming increasingly
international with students from all parts of the world
becoming ever more mobile, seeking to choose the
best institution to pursue their studies and launch their
careers, wherever that institution is. Research is highly
internationalised, with users of research results looking
to find them wherever they are generated.
In recent visits to the USA, China, Northern Europe
and Scandinavia I have experienced strong interest
from leading universities in partnering with Macquarie to expand collaborative
research via joint PhD and master degrees, workshops and other mechanisms.
The very high ratings Macquarie achieved in the recent Excellence in Research
for Australia assessment of research quality have been a significant element in
the interest expressed.
Australian universities, and Macquarie in particular, have levels of international
research collaboration which are high by world standards. For example, around
42 per cent of all research publications from Macquarie staff have international
co-authors, placing us in the top three Australian universities in this measure.
Significantly, papers which include international authors attract higher
citations (that is, recognition by the international community) than papers
with Australian authors only. Our international collaboration is a critical factorbehind the outstanding results Macquarie achieved in Thomson Reuters 2011
ranking of citations. Macquarie topped the rankings of citations in the areas of
environmental sciences and ecology among institutions in Australia and New
Zealand, and ranked 14th in the world making us one of only two Australian
universities in the world top 100.
As well as strongly supporting international research collaboration through
direct support mechanisms, Macquarie has established its international joint PhD
program as a central part of our strategy for global engagement. In this program
research students are co-enrolled at Macquarie and leading overseas universities
as they undertake a project which is supervised by staff at each institution.
Students spend substantial periods of time at each university and their thesis is
examined by both institutions with the successful student being awarded a PhD
by Macquarie and the partner university, or in some cases a PhD awarded jointly
by the two. We are currently expanding this program to make up 10 per cent
of our total research student enrolments and at present we have close to 100
students undertaking joint PhDs with over 30 universities in the UK, Europe, USA
and China. Not only is this a great experience for the students, but the process
builds collaboration between Macquarie and our partners and of course, further
increases joint publication to everyones benefit.
Professor Jim PiperDeputy Vice-Chancellor Research
Questis the research magazine ofMacquarie University. Questispublished quarterly by theMacquarie University Marketing Unit.
cott:Marketing UnitMacquarie UniversityNSW 2109 Australia
ditoril uiries:
: [email protected]: 02 9850 7309
ubsriptios:If you would like to receive a copy ofQuestvisit www.equest.mq.edu.au to subscribe.
Publitios mger: Jayne Denshireditor: Fiona CrawfordDesiger:Anne Marleen Hissinkcotributors: Lyn Danninger,Joanna Fellows, Caroline Jenkins,Golda Mitchell, Christine Paul,Rachel Sullivan, Josh Wakerman,
Clive Williamsgig cosultt: Diana Panayi
coer ige: IStock Photo/jcarrillet
Quest
First words
Balaclava Road, North Ryde, Sydney, Australia
Telephone (02) 9850 7111, Facsimile (02) 9850 7433
Macquarie University CRICOS Provider Number 00002J
www.mq.edu.au
This edition ofQuestis now available onlineas eQuest.
eQuest takes you beyond our
research stories via multimedia
platforms, allowing you to watch
and hear more about the research
topics of the day all with a click
of your mouse!
To receive eQuest online visitwww.equest.mq.edu.au
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
3/20
Quest
3
Contents
06_GyP cyBR RvOLOnTaking disaection oine and into
the streets.
08_L R B LGUnveiling the secrets of deep space.
12_
BRanG LF nO
mDcaL RaRc
New hope for SIDS and Parkinsons.
17_FOR LOv OF OLThe dynamics of energy prices.
18_Da OF Oama: ORLD aFR?
A huge blow to terrorism or just
a hiccup?
19_FnDnG RaRcDiversifying revenue schemes.
6
12
8
17
18
19
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
4/20
4 Quest
news
4 Quest
m a c q a R RAND nmBR On FORNVIRONMNTA SCINCSA N D C O O R S A R C
Alisting of the top-ranked institutions in Australia and
New Zealand, published in May by the UKs Times
Higher Education, placed Macquarie in the top spot
for environmental sciences and ecology research.
The list, which was put together using the Essential
Science Indicators database of Thomson Reuters, ranked
institutions based on the citation impact of journal articles
published over the last decade. Macquarie appeared on
the list in the number one spot locally and ranked as
number 14 in the world.
According to the ar ticle Macquarie appears to be
leading a trend in environmental sciences and ecology
research that has emerged as a strongly improving area
for Australia and New Zealand. The article pointed to
Australias overall citation impact increasing to 23 per
cent above the world average in the past decade as
evidence of this trend. According to the article Australian
universities hold a larger world share of papers in this eld
and inuence of such papers has risen signicantly over
this period.
Executive Dean of Macquaries Faculty of ScienceProfessor Stephen Thurgate says of the results: The
future of the environment has long been a priority for
the talented researchers in the Faculty of Science. We
are delighted to see their contribution reected in the
rankings. This achievement further illustrates the quality of
research and teaching we are developing at Macquarie.PHOTO:PHILLIPAJANOS
ight ollbortie reserh
projets led b murie
iersit he reeied $2.06
illio i Lige Projet grts fro
the austrli Reserh couil.
he grts will boost muries
reserh i the res of utis
support i shools, rie d wildlife
osertio, eploee prtiiptio,
biophotois, iro ore proessig,
lsers d surgil iotio.Lige Projets ust be
ollbortie eorts iolig
uiersities, idustr d goeret.
he prterships i muries eight
projets re with orgistios suh s
autis petru austrli, the Rol
austrlsi college of urgeos d
the austrli museu. collbortio
esures muries reserh is
relet to idustr d goeret
deds, with prtil solutios for
ouit issues.
Oerll, 219 projets rossaustrli beetted fro grts worth
ore th $67 illio. muries
proposl suess rte of 66.7 per et
is fr boe the tiol erge of
40.9 per et, d the highest of the
37 reserh istitutios tht pplied
for fudig.
Of the results Professor Ji Piper
ss: muries outstdig
suess rte i this ltest roud is
exellet retur o the iestet our
reserhers d reserh support st
i the fulties d Reserh Oede to esure the er high ulit
of the pplitios subitted.
ARC Linkage success
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
5/20
Quest
5
xecutive Dean of the Faculty of Business and conomics Professor Mark abbott was recently awarded
Distinguished Membership of ANZMAC, the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy, in
recognition of his service to the profession.
abbotts research interests are in services marketing, knowledge management, customer
relationship management, consumer behaviour and customer value. e has published four books and
has published research in a variety of academic journals including the Journal of Business Research,
Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, European Journal of Marketing,Journal of Marketing Management
and Journal of Healthcare Marketing.
abbott also actively consults on projects for both private and public sector international clients,
including consumer and market research agencies in urope, The uropean Commission, The Scottish Oce, The U National
ealth Service, IBM, onda, Mazda, AMP, The Consumers Association, and the U overnments National Consumer Council.
abbott is a graduate of the University of ssex, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts (onours) in conomics, and a graduate
of the Imperial College, University of ondon, where he completed a Master of Science in Technology Management. After working
in government for six years in consumer policy and protection, he joined the University of Stirling as a Research Fellow and
completed a PhD in Marketing. e was appointed xecutive Dean of the Faculty of Business and conomics at Macquarie in 2008.
ANZMAC was founded in 1998 and for over ten years has been a vibrant leading source of marketing information, knowledge
sharing and research development among marketing academics and practitioners from Australia, New Zealand and beyond.
PHOTO:MARIOBIANCHINO
Surgeons from Macquarie University Hospital
(MUH) are the rst in Sydney to perform an
operation using an innovative robotic leg implant
for patients with above-knee amputations.
Professor Munjed Al Muderis, orthopaedic
surgeon at MUH and clinical lecturer at the
Australian School of Advanced Medicine, has
performed the rst operation using the new
Endo-Exo Prosthesis.
The robotic leg innovation lies in the way in
which the prosthesis is attached to the upper limb.
Previously, a vacuum prosthetic leg was used. This
t over the skin of the remaining part of the upper
limb, but presented a myriad of problems including
friction with the skin, pain and the risk of infection.
The new technology uses a stem that goes
through the distal femur bone, rather than
over the skin, says Muderis. The stem is then
attached to the robotic leg. The biomechanics
of the prosthesis are so advanced that patientsexperience much greater mobility and a return to
near-normal gait. We are seeing patients return to
pre-injury levels of activity.
Award or eminent marketing researcer
NRC LE CANIN IVSAnother important outcome is that the robotic
leg reduces the load on the body. Conventional
prostheses take an additional 30 percent of energy
from a patient, which can add stress to the heart and
other organs.
With the Endo-Exo Prosthesis, because the
patients body load is carried by the prosthesis,
rather than the ilium [pelvic bone], it enables a
better range of movement and so easier walking,
says Muderis.
Receiving this life-changing prosthesis at MUH was
Paralympian Brendan Burkett (pictured right) who lost
his leg in a hit and run accident 25 years ago.
Though he is realistic about the recovery process
ahead, Burkett says he hopeful about what this
procedure could mean for the future of prosthesis
and has already begun to see major improvements in
his mobility.
Ive had this for 25 years and to be able to
sit down and reach my shoe lace for the rsttime [since the accident] is amazing, he says.
Its little things like that which make a big thing
in your life.
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
6/20
6 Quest
feature
ears of brewing
dissention in gypt,
oft dismissed by the
government as cyber
politics and therefore
of little concern,
suddenly became very
real politics when
the masses took their
disaffection offline and
into the streets in a
show of force against
their government
earlier this year.
GyP mOR an J a PaOn for Dr Gennaro Gervasio. It
has become a place he thinks of often, a place he analyses and a place
where he has lived, worked and loved.
Today, when Im nostalgic, its for Egypt, and I think this confuses
people, says Gervasio, a wry smile on his face.
Gervasios research within the Department of Modern History,
Politics and International Relations is exploring civic activism and
political change in North Africa with a focus on Egypt, and the recent
developments have made it especially relevant. What has occurred
in Egypt over the past few months has been of great interest to
Gervasio and his thoughts jump passionately from one to another as
he expounds on his theory of how it all came to be. There has been a mainstream view that the people-powered
revolution in Egypt sprung up from nowhere, that suddenly dissenting
voices arose and took people to the streets. Gervasio explains that
this is far from the truth and to know the whole story one had to
embed themselves in Egyptian society; speak the language, read
the newspapers.
Gervasio refutes the notion that until recently there were no
dissenting voices in the Egyptian media.
I think its theoretically very difficult for the state to occupy all
the public space, he says. Maybe that was done in history, in Nazi
Germany for example, but thats not the case for the middle eastern
countries. If you go there and know who to talk to then you can find
these dissenting voices. If you can talk to people in Arabic, and if you
can actually read the Arabic newspapers you start noticing different
discourses within the state-run media. So, you can indeed find
dissenting voices within a totalitarian regime in the media. Even on
the same page of the paper youll have alternative views.
Having lived in Cairo himself for almost four years, Gervasio
witnessed first-hand the slow-growing discontent. He found that
the main grievances were both political and economical, and it was
in fact the educated middle class that was the main proponent of
the demonstrations.
These are young people who have an education, speak one ortwo languages, they graduate and there are no chances to be had
for employment, he says. Either you are a part of the elite where you
have the connections, or youre not. In the past many of these people
cyberrevolution
EGPTS
PHO
TO:ISTOCKPHOTO/JCARILLET
PHOTO:PHILLIPAJANOS
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
7/20
Quest
7
PhOTOS:ISTOCkPhOTO/DRPAS,
CFlPhOTOgRAPhy
migrated to Europe, but now with harsher immigration laws, they
cannot go. This leaves them frustrated and a little desperate.
It was this same educated middle class who vented their views
on social media etc and then went onto the streets. They felt they
finally had nothing to lose.
The mention of social media and the online sphere seems to spark
a new debate in Gervasios mind.
The role that cyber activism played in the Egyptian revolution
has become a topic of conversation amongst analysts and social
commentators. Grand statements labelling
cyberspace as the cause of the demonstrations
arose and when this topic is broached withGervasio he seems to have heard it all before.
Its a question of space and chance, he says. As
we know, there are a few mainstream publications
and then independent publications arise. Dissenting
voices could be heard in both. Then in the last three
or four years when there has been a lot of press
restrictions you get a lot more people, including the
dissenting voices, jumping onto the cyber.
For example, there was a popular workers
paper that was printed for two years and then
went online and had a huge impact on calling for
the demonstration. So its not like the printed and online are separate
there are not only pro-governmental voices but also dissenting
voices in the printed media and these voices eventually went online.
My point is that the e-media was a means, it was not what caused
the revolution. These groups that started organising themselves
in the last few years, they were forced to use social media and
cyberspace from which to launch their messages.
So although it was not the cause, cyber-activism had a role
nonetheless to play in leading people to the street.
Acknowledging the power of cyberspace, the government, on a
few occasions, blocked internet access to quieten the voices stirring
up emotion throughout the capital. But this had an effect that thegovernment didnt predict.
The government, at one stage, blocked the internet for eight
or nine days and people at home waiting for online updates were
suddenly in the dark, says Gervasio. So what did they do? The
moment they couldnt get internet they took to the streets! For so
long the government dismissed the online commentators. Theyre
only cyber they would say. Now, this proved to them, to everyone,
that the politics were not just cyber, but that they were very real.
Born in Naples, Italy, Gervasio was always fascinated by the
politics of the Middle East. So he began to study political science
at the Oriental University where he could focus on middle eastern
countries, particularly the Israel and Palestine question.
Then, he travelled to Egypt for the first time
and immersed himself in its culture for six months,
studying Arabic so he could talk to locals and readthe papers. After spending time teaching and
studying in Egypt, the US and the UK, he returned
to Italy hoping to continue his academic life and
participate in a lively post 9/11 debate. But he
found that the academic possibilities and freedoms
he had been afforded elsewhere were not available
to him. So, looking for that freedom, he decided
on a new adventure and arrived at Macquarie in
April of 2008.
Although his academic life has thrived at
Macquarie, Gervasio only has one issue it seems
the distance he now finds himself from his adopted home. Lucky
for him then that he took leave last semester to return to Egypt and
almost found himself caught up in the dramatic demonstrations that
changed Egypts course forever.
I left Cairo the day before the demonstrations started, to come
back here, he explains. But the demonstrations had already been
called. But whats important for me is that the myth that the people
in the Middle East have this inertia is shattered. That they do in fact
want change and will act out to achieve it can now be seen.
However, when asked what he thinks will happen next in his
beloved Egypt, Gervasio furrows his brow and leans forward in his chair.
Now, one might say its easy to unite against a tyrant, but thechallenge now is to find a common way forward, he says. Thats
the hard part.
To contact Dr Gennaro Gervasio email [email protected]
PHOTOS:ISTOCKPHOTO/JCARILLET
The educatedmiddle classvented their
views on socialmedia and then
went ontothe streets.
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
8/20
onthecover
8 Quest
The centres launch reects the massive growth of interest and
investment in astronomy across Australia in general and more
locally at Macquarie University. This is an interest enthusiastically
encouraged by Parker. Originally from ngland, and after 14 years of
shuttling between Australia and the Royal Observatory dinburgh
in Scotland on various projects, he joined Macquarie in April 2002
as the joint Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO)/Macquarie
lecturer in astronomy.
hen I joined Macquarie University the astronomy group was
very small, but thanks to the rapid growth in both the quality and
quantity of staff and students, and collaborative, international
research programs, it is now one of the largest and most productive
astronomical research groups in the country, he comments, addingthat there is a great synergy between the work of Macquarie staff,
postdoctoral research fellows and students, and those of the nearby
AAO, which continues to co-fund some of the work at Macquarie.
One of the big problems all universities face is attracting
students into science generally but particularly into physics-
related fields. Fortuitously, the close proximity of the AAO, and the
associated access and excellent opportunities for collaboration
that our close relationship provides to both senior and early career
researchers, also gives DR students the opportunity to really
immerse themselves in the life of our national observatory and be
co-supervised by some of the best astronomers in Australia.
e says this unprecedented level of access is part of the reason
that the astronomy group has been so successful, reflected in the
Department of Physics being renamed the Department of Physics
and Astronomy in 2010 a first for Australia. The astronomy group
alone now has 40+ faculty, postdoctoral fellows and DR students,
producing around 70 papers a year and attracting millions in grant
money. ith its planned growth in research, the centre is expected
to soon be among the top four astronomy cohorts in Australia.
owever, observing enigmatic celestial objects and distant
galaxies is expensive, and while Australia has its own major
optical observing sites at Siding Spring and Mt Stromlo, different
telescopes are suited to different types of research. The new centrehas ties to more than 100 national and international universities,
observatories, research institutions and commercial companies
in 23 countries, providing a basis for effective multi-national
academicprofile
PHOTOS:MICHELL
EWILSON
,NASA/JPL-C
ALTECH/UNIvERSITyOFARIZONA
et there be lightDeep spe is giig up its serets thsto the wor of Professor queti Prerd ollegues t the reetl luhed
murie astroo, astrophsis d
astrophotois Reserh cetre.
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
9/20
studentprofile
Quest
9
collaborative research programs and partnerships with some of the
worlds leading research groups.
e have a very active observing program, says Parker, andin the past few years have logged over 300 observing nights at
telescopes all over the world.
One night of observing on a four-metre telescope, such as the
Anglo Australian Telescope at Siding Spring in northern New South
ales can cost around $30,000, while a single night on an 8-metre
telescope such as the emini optical-infrared telescope at the
summit of Mauna ea, awaii, can be $100,000.
e also have six people working in the emerging field
of astrophotonics, one of the largest groups of its kind in Australia,
he says.
Astrophotonics, which employs optical fibres and other smart
technologies to bend light in different ways in telescopes, has grown
out of research into optimising terrestrial telecommunications, and
makes it easier and cheaper to observe distant sources of light,
identify objects in deep space, and compensate for light pollution
from arth.
As well as astrophotonics research, the new centre will host
many mainstream astrophysics research programs, in addition to
other projects such as the Macquarie University-led $2.4 million
dollar Australian Research Council-supported project Space to
row, which connects astronomers with educational, ICT and
science teaching experts to engage high school students in science
using the hook of astronomy.The centre will also have a strong focus on building links with
Indigenous communities by engaging the Aboriginal Astronomy
Research roup, a team dedicated to researching the astronomical
knowledge and traditions of Indigenous Australians, which stretch
back over 50,000 years.
These and other projects being run by the new centre will help
improve the visibility of science and create interest in the field, says
Parker. Prospective students will be able to see research in action.
Prior to taking up his position at Macquarie, Parker worked on the
U Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring, where he was responsible
for helping to develop and manage the revolutionary FAIR-II fibre-
spectroscopy system and the 6dF robotic fibre system that replaced
FAIR-II. e also conceived and led the last major wide-field survey
at the telescope in the light of -alpha, which used the worlds
largest astronomical narrow-band filter to create a map of ionised
gas in our alaxy of unprecedented depth, coverage and resolution.
e remains a member of the 6dF Science Advisory roup,
and is currently chair of the International Astronomical Union
working group on sky-surveys, and is head of the RAV (Radial
Velocity xperiment) survey data management group, which
tracks the speed at which stars move and provides an insight into
the formation of the Milky ay alaxy through a process dubbed
galactic archaeology. e also heads both the -alpha internationalsurvey consortium and the associated M*A*S* (Macquarie/AAO/
Strasbourg -alpha) and IPAS (INT Photometric -Alpha Survey of
the Northern alactic Plane) Planetary nebulae teams.
elix nebul
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
10/20
onthecover
10 Quest
Planetary nebulae, which are Parkers
primary research interest, are luminous,
glowing clouds of dust and gas that form
when a dying star reaches the end of its life
and ejects the gas and dust particles thatform its outer envelope.
Studies of planetary nebulae are
essential for improving understanding of
the later evolution of low mass stars like
our own Sun and of stellar evolution in
the critical phase prior to the creation of
small, dead stars known as white dwarfs,
he explains. They provide vital probes for
studying processes of nucleosynthesis inside
stars, abundances of chemical compounds
and chemical enrichment of interstellar
space, and act as powerful indicators of our
alaxys star formation history.
The brightness distribution exhibited by
the planetary nebulae family also provides
an extremely important tool for measuring
distances to external galaxies, while their
spatial distribution within such galaxies
can also be used to map the presence of
dark matter.
The planetary nebulae luminosity
function [PNF] is the ensemble brightness
distribution of the population of PN inany galaxy, he explains. Its well behaved
form allows us to obtain more accurate
measurement of the vast cosmological
distances that galaxies inhabit in space,
rather than just recording an angle in the
sky relative to another point.
In ten years, Parkers M*A*S* project
has effectively doubled the known galactic
population of these fascinating sources
acrued over the previous century, providing
powerful new insights into this phenomenon
and late stage stellar evolution.
And just recently, Parker and colleagues
made a unique discovery of a planetary
nebula (PN) in an old open cluster of stars,
that is, a group of a few thousand stars that
were formed from the same giant molecular
cloud and are approximately the same age
(in this case ~700 million years).
Any proven association between a PN
and an open star cluster is an extremely
valuable astrophysical tool, he says.
Out of the discovery, new techniquesfor establishing planetary nebula distance
measures have been developed as have new
approaches for identifying contaminants
that can affect the accuracy of these distance measures. The finding
had other, more earthbound consequences too: the growth in the
Department of Physics and Astronomy associated with the find
led to its emergence as one of Macquaries CORs (Concentrations
of Research xcellence), and played a significant role in the
departmental rename in 2010.
The M*A*S* project also earned Parker and colleagues the 2010
Macquarie University Research xcellence Award in the Science and
ngineering category. The Awards recognise and reward staff andpostgraduate students for outstanding performance and excellence
in research and innovation.
Planetary nebulae provide us with a very useful and powerful
astrophysical tool, says Parker. This work will continue to form
the basis of lots of our research as Macquaries astronomy
capabilities continue to grow in size and importance, both in
Australia and internationally.
To contact Quentin Parker email [email protected]
The
Macquarie
astronomy
group is
one of the
largest
and most
productive
in thecountry.
PHOTO:NASA
,ESA
,JHESTER(ARIZONASTATEUNIvERSITy)
PHOTOS:NASA
,ES
AANDA
.ZIJLSTRA(UMIST
,MANCHESTER
,UK
Bug nebul, nGc 6302
crb nebul
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
11/20
coplete the QUESTreder sure d go ito
the drw to wi ftsti iPd.
e would like to know what you think ofQuest. our valued
input will help us to better plan the future direction of the
magazine so that it best meets your interests.
ou will find our reader survey on our website. e know
your time is valuable so weve created an online version, to
make it quick and easy for you to participate.
Visit www..edu.u/uestsure
closig dte: 15 august 2011
PHOTO:COURTESyOFAPPLE
in an iPad!
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
12/20
12 Quest12 Quest
reating lie into
feature
may DO BcOncOLy, but the
simple acts of swallowing and coughing are
actually the result of a complex interaction
between important areas of the brain
which control the upper airways and
breathing rhythm.
When we accidentally inhale particles of
water or food, we experience
a breathing arrest apnoea
and our vocal cords close off
the pathway to the lungs as
a protective measure during
coughing and swallowing.
Until last year, it was
unknown what parts of
the brain were responsible
for coordinating theseprotective responses.
The discovery, made
by a team of cardio-respiratory experts at
Macquaries Australian School of Advanced
Medicine (ASAM), could eventually lead to
a better understanding of, and ultimately
a cure for, many pathological diseases,
including sudden infant death syndrome
(SIDS), Parkinsons disease and Alzheimers, in
which difficulties with swallowing may have
dire outcomes.
Together with ASAMs Dr Qi-Jian Sun and
clinical collaborator Dr Robert Berkowitz, head
of the Department of Otolaryngology and
Paediatrics at The Royal Childrens Hospital
in Melbourne, and under the supervision
of ASAMs Professor Paul Pilowsky, PhD
candidate Tara Bautista (pictured above) is
focused on why and how we stop breathing
when an irritant enters our airways.
We found that there is a timing
relationship between the closure of the vocal
cords and the timing of the next breath,she explains. We found that if the following
breath is expected within a certain time
following vocal cord closure, but it doesnt
actually occur, the next breath will be missed.
In response to a strong irritant, rhythmic vocal
cord closure occurs. This can result in many
missed breaths, and thats how a breathing
arrest is generated.
As fully developed adults we cough,
swallow and recover. However, every year
more than 4300 babies and
children die suddenly and
unexpectedly. More than 50
per cent of these deaths have
no known cause.
One theory is that these
complicated responses
[coughing and recovering]
are not well-developed in
babies so it is mostly justthe breathing arrest which
occurs, she says. However,
the breathing arrest may go on for such
a long time that heart rate may fall to
dangerously low levels, depriving their vital
organs of oxygen. By understanding how
these breathing and swallowing systems
work at a very basic level, we can understand
how they can go wrong.
This finding is the first step in understanding
how breathing arrest occurs.
From here we hope to find new targets
for therapeutic strategies to prevent inability
to coordinate breathing with upper airway
protective behaviour such as swallowing,
and ultimately SIDS and other diseases,
she says.
But there is some way to go as no one yet
knows how the brain decides for how long
our breathing should stop.
Our research has found the areas which
are important in making this decision, but
how the brain actually decides at a cellularlevel is still unknown, she continues.
Within our brain, one site is responsible for
computing environment-related information.
Says Bautista: It tells you about the
state of your blood pressure, the state of
important respiratory gases such as oxygen
and carbon dioxide.
The other site is part of the central
respiratory system our breathing rhythm
generator. Bautista says although these sites
have been known for some time, it wasnt
known that the protective responses are
controlled together.
Its all about the coordination of the
protective role of the vocal cords plus the
breathing arrest, she explains. ou cant
have one without the other when you get to
such complex behaviours such as coughing
and swallowing.
To understand how the central nervoussystem controls breathing and swallowing,
the team recreated the brain and bodys
response to a throat irritant using electrical
An important discovery in cardio-respiratory
research may lead to prevention and cure for
many diseases, including SIDS.
B uderstdig the
ehiss whih
regulte the rdio-
respirtor diseses,
we hopefull
uderstd the uses
of huge rge of
diseses lie D.
PHOTOS:PHILLIPA
JANOS
,ISTOCKPHOTO/JLBARRANCO
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
13/20
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
14/20
14 Quest
ith thousds of ew users joiig Feboo,
Lied d witter eerd, soil edi
loos to be here to st. all too ofte, howeer,
it is soure of trouble beuse soe users
re utrustworth, whih led to extree
persol, professiol d il oseuees.
respose, PhD didte Gufeg Liu fro
the Deprtet of coputig is deelopig
iotie odel tht helps estblish higher
leel of trust betwee prtiipts d ids their
subseuet deisio-ig proesses.
wo prtiipts i trstio whih
iole exhge of persol or il
ifortio he o diret ott with
oe other, but trust is er iportt prt
of ig deisio to proeed, ss Liu, who
studied loud d grid oputig t qigdo
iersit i chi for his sters.
Bsed o pst itertios, there re lred
uber of soil trust pths betwee prtiipts
i soil etwors, suh s reoedtiosfro other users, but these be ope to buse,
prtiulrl i oeril settig.
sig psho-soil reserh Liu hs reted
thetil odel of oplex soil etwor
struture tht otis rge of soil reltioships
suh s the reltioship betwee eploer d
eploee, d reoedtio roles suh s the
soil positio of iuetil prtiipts.
hese ftors he sigit iuee o
trust elutio but he ot bee osidered i
existig soil etwor strutures, oets Liu,
whose qulit of rust (qo) odel lso iludes
lgorith tht hs bee deostrted to
outperfor existig trust ssure sstes.
e ss there re uber of pplitios
for this ew odel, iludig ext geertio
reoedtio sste tht itis the
oplex soil ifortio betwee buers d
sellers i etwor, d helpig cRm (custoer
Reltio mgeet) sstes to idetif
trustworth ew ustoers d the produts the be iterested i buig.
To contact Guanfeng Liu email
researchhighlights
Undertaking a PhD within the Department of Psychology, Simon
Byrne is investigating an exciting new treatment for childhood
anxiety which could drastically change how psychologists treat
anxious children.
Anxiety disorders are among the most common problems
experienced by children, with up to ve per cent of young people
experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time.
Very often the anxiety or fear is related to an animal, and two
of the most common animal phobias in kids are a fear of dogs and
a fear of spiders, he says. These phobias can cause considerable
distress to a child as they grow up. Phobias can also cause
problems for parents who may have to constantly reassure their
child when they are anxious or upset.
Current treatment for phobias generally involve helping a
child gradually face what they are frightened of in a process called
graded exposure therapy or desensitisation.
owever, says Byrne, who is researching under the supervision
of Professor Ron Rapee, some children do not improve with
exposure therapy alone, so new and more eective treatments
need to be developed.One such treatment, being trialed by Byrne and his colleagues
at Macquaries Centre for motional ealth, is a combination of
exposure therapy and a new medication called D-Cycloserine.
D-Cycloserine has shown to improve the chances of a faster
and complete recovery when given just before an exposure
session, explains Byrne. The medication is very safe, just like
taking a dose of antibiotic.
During the exposure, the child is learning that they no longer
need to be frightened of what they once feared. DCS is believed
to improve this process by more eectively storing this new non-
fearful learning in memory. Because of this, the child is less likelyto become frightened the next time they see a dog or spider.
To contact Simon Byrne [email protected] or call 0403 839 625
A Mattero rust
PHOTO:LyNDANNINGER
NE MECAN EhE ANx
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
15/20
Quest
15
Undertaking a PhD within the
Department of Sociology, aynor Nichols
is exploring the world of the highly
successful reality TV series MasterChef
in an attempt to reveal the nature of its
impact on societal values.
Prior to beginning this research,
Nichols analysed the role that digitally
empowered audiences play in shaping the
production of reality television, focusing
on production house FremantleMedia
Australias (FMA) The Biggest Loser, for her
honours research.
My ndings suggested that the role
of the audience in shaping content has
been overemphasised in much media
sociology, due to a deep-seated tension
between the aims of audience research,
marketing and publicity on the one hand,
and participatory and fan cultures on the
other, she says.
Continuing in a similar vein, NicholsPhD is exploring the production process
ofMasterCheffrom both an industry and
contestant point of view.
By following the processes of
preproduction, storyline development,
auditions, production, and post-
production inside FMA over a nine-month
period, I am hoping the study will provide
a critical perspective on the interplaybetween contestant and producer and
the role played by television producers in
shaping popular culture, she says.
Ive been extremely lucky to have been
given unprecedented access by FMA to
both sta and data on MasterChef.
Nichols began eldwork in 2010 with
the audition process for MasterChef. The
research phase will be completed in Augustthis year when the current series ends.
To contact Gaynor Nichols [email protected]
In spite of the daily gridlock on Australian roads, its hard for manyof us to imagine a time when cars wont be so heavily relied on.
But not for PhD candidate Michael Askew, who genuinely sees
a future beyond the car but only if governments change their
one-size-ts-all approach to transportation.
My thesis focuses on Workplace Travel Management
[WTM] also known as Green Transport Planning or Workplace
Travel Planning, explains Askew, who is researching within
the Graduate School of the Environment. WTM involves
management and employees of an organisation working
together to increase the eciency of car use for trips to,
from and at work. The broad motivations for WTM include
environmental, economic, social and human health gains that
accrue from minimising private vehicle use. Organisations
may also experience direct benets related to sta well-being,
recruitment and retention, reductions in capital costs, image
and organisational culture change.
Essentially, WTM embraces a number of key principles such
as shifting away from the car towards train, bus, cycling andwalking; more ecient use of vehicles, through carpooling and
more fuel ecient vehicles; trip scheduling changes, to avoid
peak hour trips; and increases in non-transportation trips, such
as telecommuting and teleconferencing.
For me, the key problem facing Sydney is the failure by
governments to better understand the domains into which
their policies are implemented and to consider the needs of
the actors within those domains, he says. The environment
into which a travel behaviour change policy is implemented
is complex, so there is a need for a more holistic, systematic
understanding of the domains.
Askew argues that his research demonstrates that
organisations are willing to consider adopting a WTM initiative,
that employees are generally open to change, but that
substantial work must be undertaken by governments to assist
organisations with implementation and maintenance.
To contact Michael Askew email [email protected]
hE CAR! et back to the garage
aping
popular culture
PHOTO:FREMANTLEMEDIAAUSTRALIA
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
16/20
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
17/20
studentprofile
Quest
17
studentprofile
may B PnG the nishing touches
on his PhD, the research for which has earned
him multiple awards and recognition, but
Lurion De Mello says there is some way to
go in analysing the dynamic interaction of
energy prices.
He should know. In four years, De Mello
has achieved international publication of
seven research papers some received A
rankings and two more are in the pipeline;
written two book chapters; and attended
15 conferences. He was awarded Best Paper
at the 2011 International Association for
Energy Economics conference and received
a Research Excellence Award from Macquarie.
De Mellos project, Upstream and
downstream hydrocarbon prices: crude oil to
plastics, looks at the impact of the price ofcrude oil on the price of commodities such
as petrol, diesel, heating oil and naphtha,
and how this, in turn, affects products
manufactured down the chain.
Crude oil is broken down into many
products through the refinement process so,
naturally, the price of crude oil becomes a key
factor in driving the prices of these refined
products, he explains.
Think petrochemicals they are processed
into polymers (plastic bags, containers, cling
film) and aromatics (polystyrene, rubber,
detergent); as well as the fuel used to transport
the goods on our supermarket shelves.
Most Australians see the impact of crude
oil prices through transportation, which
affects food prices, he says. Crude oil prices
can have a significant effect on low oil-
producing countries such as Australia.
De Mello, a Macquarie University Research
Excellence Scholarship holder, has been
employed as a lecturer in the Department of
Applied Finance and Actuarial Studies, but
plans to continue with his research.
The dynamic interaction of energy
prices requires further analysis using
more sophisticated modelling techniques
popularised in the field of finance, he explains.
His specialisation in petrochemicals stems
from his time at King Fahd University of
Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, but
it was the minerals boom in Perth, where he
grew up, that initially sparked an interest in
the field.
Following an internship at BHP Billiton, he
moved on to the biggest of them all crude
oil and its impact on various economies.
De Mellos reputation in and passion for
the field is growing, thanks to his Research
Excellence Award, the application for which
was submitted amid storms and broken
phone lines from an internet cafe in his native
India. Hed been planning his wedding with
his fianc, who had been living in Germanyat the time, and who recently joined him
in Australia.
The award process made me aware of
the high-calibre research being done at
Macquarie, he says. I was very humbled
when I was announced the winner. I would
like to thank Macquarie University for having
this great initiative as the recognition has
encouraged me to pursue my research
aspirations to another level.
Macquarie is forward-thinking in its
research, and the support in terms of funding
for training and development was the
best I could find in any university program
in Australia.
To contact Lurion De Mello [email protected]
Already internationally respected for his research into energy economics,
urion De Mello was inspired by his Macquarie University Research
xcellence Award to take his research to another level.
PHOTO:ISTOCKPHOTO/MATTJE
ACOCK
Most Australians see
the impact of crude
oil prices through
transportation, which
affects food prices.
Deput vie-chellor ReserhProfessor Ji Piper d Lurio De mello
For the love of
PHOTO:PAULWRIGHT
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
18/20
18 Quest
opinion
a aLL knO, the trail nally led
to a compound at Abbottabad, north of
Islamabad. The raid on the compound
occurred at around 0130 on 1 May (Pakistan
time) and was made more complicated
by the crash-landing of one of the two
stealth Blackhawk helicopters. Although the
SEALs tried to destroy the helicopter before
departure, there will undoubtedly be some
loss of helicopter stealth technology to China.
Osama bin Laden, three other men, and awoman were killed during the operation. The
deceased were said to be one of bin Ladens
adult sons (likely Hamza, some sources
call him Khalid), a courier pseudonymed
Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, the couriers relative,
and the couriers wife.
There was, as expected, a strongly adverse
public reaction in Pakistan, followed by a
spate of revenge attacks.
The Pakistan Government had always
denied the presence of Osama bin Laden
in Pakistan, but there are suspicions that
some senior members of the Pakistan
military must have known about Osama bin
Ladens location. Either way, Pakistan Inter-
Services Intelligence was either complicit or
incompetent either is worrying.
From al-Qaedas perspective it was better
for Osama to be a dead martyr than held and
humiliated in American custody.
The Obama Administration may also
have seen Osama dying at the compound
as the preferred outcome. Osama alive atGuantanamo and acting as a rallying point or
inspiration for Muslim extremists would have
been an unattractive scenario.
The downside of executing the unarmed
Osama was that it was clearly not the
justice claimed by President Obama. After
the Second World War, the victorious allies
went to great lengths to conduct war crimes
trials. Due process was also later extended to
Adolf Eichmann, Saddam Hussein and other
politically-motivated mass murderers.
Claims by some experts that we should
now be expecting terrorist revenge attacks
in the West are not convincing, at least inthe short term. Earlier counter-terrorism
successes were seen as more a cause for
celebration of martyrdom than a reason for
mounting revenge attacks.
In most Western countries, including
Australia, revenge attacks would probably
take months to organise. The Wests security
intelligence is much better than it was at
the time of 9/11, and most terrorist plots are
now being thwarted. There have been no
terrorist attacks in Australia since 9/11 with
38 persons arrested and 23 convicted.
Osama bin Laden was clearly living on
borrowed time, and his execution at a time
when the United States is doing it tough
economically is a great morale boost for
President Obama and the American people.
It is being said that the Republicans are so
impressed with President Obamas counter-
terrorism success that they are thinking of
granting him full American citizenship!
The successful raid underlines that no
terrorist leader is unreachable even if itdoes take time. What it also demonstrates
is that there is always someone ready to
step up and take the place of a fallen leader.
Long-term resolution to terrorism campaigns
is more likely to be achieved by political
outcomes, than targeted assassinations.
Clive Williams is an Adjunct Professor at
Macquaries Centre for Policing, Intelligenceand Counter Terrorism.
To contact Adjunct Professor Clive Williamsemail [email protected] PH
OTO:ISTOCKPH
OTO/ALLKINDZA
eat o sama:
Is the world safer?
Osama alive at
uantanamo and acting
as a rallying point for
Muslim exremists would
have been an
unattractive scenario.
Osama bi aden may be dead, but
is the world a safer place? Terrorism
expert Adjunct Professor Clive illiams
believes political outcomes, rather than
further assassinations, is the key to
ending terrorism.
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
19/20
Quest
19
lastwords
macqaR Rcv mLLOn OF DOLLaR in funding each
year from the Australian Government and other funding bodies to
support its high-quality research.
And such is the quality, 80 per cent of Macquaries research
activity was rated as being world standard of higher in the recent
Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative.
Funding is vital to research at every university, says Louise Fleck,
Director of the Macquarie University Research Office. Without it,
research projects critical to our social and economic progress simply
wouldnt occur.
Projects such as the advancement of Wireless LAN technology,
now a multi-billion dollar industry used by millions around the world,
which was developed and commercialised by Macquarie researchers.
Or the research conducted at the $21 million Centre of Excellence
in Cognition and its Disorders, which aims to help improve the
diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders such as dyslexia,
language impairment, autism, dementia and schizophrenia.And a project investigating the decline of the global honey bee
population and its impact on the pollination of food crops, which is
being funded by a grant from the Hermon Slade Foundation.
Funding researchMacquarie is one of the most respected universities in Australia in terms ofits research output think wireless technology and potentially life-saving
discoveries in medicine. None of this research would be possible, however,
without the significant funding the University receives every year.PHOTO:PHILLIPAJANOS
However, acquiring funding is extremely
competitive, and Fleck is charged with
increasing and diversifying the Universitys
funding streams to support its distinct and
important research objectives.
She says the Universitys competitive
internal grant funding scheme boosts its
research capacity, encouraging researchers
to commence a project and then apply for
external funding.
And together with the Enterprise
Partnerships and Commercialisation team and
the Universitys faculty research managers, she
is focusing on increasing additional support
from local and state governments; industry,
through contract research; international
funding; and grants from professionalorganisations and foundations.
Generally funders want to support high-
quality research, she says. And Macquarie
produces very high-quality research, which
is demonstrated by our ERA results.
By increasing our research funding, the
University will be able to conduct even more
high-quality research and this benefits the
community and the world.
With the opening of the Macquarie
University Hospital and associated research
facilities, Fleck expects funding for medical
research to increase in the coming years.
It has extremely good facilities and
we have extremely able staff, so we have
a perfect environment for high-quality
medical research.
Right now we are awaiting word on
an application to the Australian Cancer
Research Foundation for a significant grant
that would help support equipment to be
used by the hospital and the medical school,
as well as the Australian Proteome AnalysisFacility which is based on campus.
To contact Louise Fleck [email protected]
enerally
funders
want to
support
high-quality
research.
PHOTO:PAULWRIGHT
8/3/2019 QUEST. Egypt's Cyber Revolution_2_2011
20/20
is interactive
takes you beyond the printed story
is the rst step towards a new research community
RaRc a macqaR nvRy ssue 2, 2011
Let there be light
Brethig life ito
edil reserh
For the loe of oil
Deth of Os:
s the world sfer?
Egypts cyber revolutionARCHIVEo 18 6INDEX
ubscribe towww.equest.mq.edu.au